The Grape Incident
by mayquita
Summary: Emma and Killian are best friends and together with the rest of their friends and family decide to welcome the new year in a special way, traveling to Madrid. On New Year's Eve, Emma has a revelation, although maybe she learns it in an unexpected and a little terrifying form.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a gift for saraswans , as a symbol of my gratitude for her continued support, for encouraging me and for pushing me to continue writing. I know that she deserves something better, at least that the story was complete, given the significant date, but I thought that, especially today, she would like to receive my humble gift. Sara, I'm going to finish it, I promise, but at least you already know what will happen in the second part, don't you? Thank you for always being here when I need you._

 _(Note: I've written this in just a short time and it's unbeta'd, so I apologize in advance for the many mistakes and nonsense.)_

* * *

"I can't believe we're flying over the ocean right now."

Emma was aware that she was behaving like a petulant girl since they had boarded the plane — even before if she was honest with herself — but that didn't stop her from continuing her little tantrum. "I still don't know why we had to choose Spain as a destination to celebrate New Year. Couldn't we have gone to... I don't know, to Maine?"

Killian chuckled at her side, but his expression immediately changed the moment she threw him a glare, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he scratched behind his ear.

"We all decided to do something special to welcome to the new year." Mary Margaret reminded her across the aisle, waving her hand encompassing the rows of seats around. The fact that she used the same tone as when she addressed her six-year-old son, far from reassuring Emma did nothing but increase her irritation. "You were there when we chose Madrid because we thought it would be fun." She added in a calm voice and in a tone perhaps too condescending for her liking.

Emma huffed in response as she leaned her head back against her seat, wishing the sleep would soon overtake her.

Killian took advantage of that moment to leaning close to her and whisper in her ear, "Admit it, Swan, all those complaints are nothing but your poor attempt to hide that you are terrified by the flight. You can pretend with others, but not with me, love."

She didn't need to look at him to know that a stupid grin would be adorning his lips. He was right, of course, because after all, he was her best friend and he knew her better than anyone, better than herself, sometimes.

This wasn't the first time she traveled by plane, but it was the first one she did it over such a wide surface of water like a damn ocean. For some reason, that had activated all her alerts, causing nerves to grip her stomach while her mind imagined a thousand possible scenarios, each one more terrifying. She'd like to be in the place of her ten-year-old son Henry, who had had no problem falling asleep shortly after taking off and he was now sleeping placidly in his seat next to the window, his head resting on Killian's shoulder.

"You should try to sleep, I still have a free shoulder." To emphasize his words, Killian pulled her into him and surrounded her shoulders with his free arm. "Or I can try to distract you, you know," he suggested while waving his eyebrows in a naughty manner.

Emma rolled her eyes and, before accepting his suggestion, she looked around. Across the aisle, her sister-in-law Mary Margaret had finally succumbed to sleep after their brief talk, as had her nephew Leo and her brother David. Then she turned her head a little more, catching the image of Elsa, Killian's sister-in-law and Ruby, the other single member of the group, along with the two of them, also slept peacefully. Finally, she peeked through the gap between the seats to check that Liam, Killian's brother, and the twins were also asleep. So there was only she and Killian left.

She let out a sigh of resignation as she settled herself beside Killian, letting his arm encircle her again as she snuggled against him looking for his warmth. "Okay, do your magic and make me sleep." She mumbled against his chest, trusting in Killian's power to get her calmed enough. Maybe it was the rhythmic beat of his heart beating against her ear, or maybe his melodious voice that continued whispering nonsenses, or the way his fingers tangled in her hair, the fact was her eyelids began to become heavy, her muscles relaxed and the incipient sleep finally invaded her. Her last thought before succumbing was how lucky she was to have such a fantastic best friend.

"Emma... Emma darling, we've arrived." A few hours later —or maybe just a few minutes— Killian's voice came to her in a muffled whisper. Still navigating between consciousness and sleep, Emma snuggled closer against him, reluctant to leave his arms, at least until she heard the shriek coming from her son.

"Mom! Wake up! We finally arrived!" Henry's excited voice made the last vestiges of her sleep leave her, though she couldn't keep a groan from escaping her lips. The adventure in Madrid, for better or for worse, had just begun.

* * *

The rental house in which they would stay, was huge and far enough from the center of the city so that their rest would not be disturbed. The four boys shared a bedroom, each couple also had their own bedroom assigned. That left two more bedrooms to be shared by the three singles of the group, so Emma ended up sleeping in the same room as Ruby, Killian being the privileged not to share his bedroom.

Although Emma had been named by common accord — even by Killian and Henry, the traitors —The Grinch of the group, at least as regards this vacation, she had to acknowledge that she was having a good time.

At least if she ignored the continuous noise, the crowd in the streets, the cold and the endless lines. They had to wait for hours, HOURS, to get a table at the most famous chocolate cafeteria in the city, but, according to Mary Margaret, who had previously studied all the traditions and typical activities of the city, they couldn't go through Madrid without trying the chocolate with churros from San Gines. — And she was right, the wait was totally worth it.

But Emma did appreciate walking through the streets of the city, discovering its corners, its historical places, the Christmas decorations and even enjoying with the children the Christmas show that a famous department store offered every year.

There was something she wasn't willing to do, though, and it was to attend an event called pre-grapes or something like that, that basically consisted of a pre-New Year's Eve rehearsal. The event would take place at the Puerta del Sol and if it was always already crowded the times they had passed through, she didn't even want to imagine how it would be during that rehearsal. But the children were quite excited, so they decided it would be better if they split into two groups, the men would take the children to the Pre-Grapes thing, while the girls enjoyed an evening for themselves.

They decided to go out for a drink at one of the many bars in the city. They hadn't been there for ten minutes, when the interrogation began. "So, when are you going to make it official?" Ruby asked arching an eyebrow at her, before taking the bottle of beer to her lips.

"Make official what exactly?"

"That you and Killian are together, of course." Mary Margaret added, as if it was obvious what they were talking about.

Emma ignored her friends after rolling her eyes. She had grown bored that they always asked the same question at the slightest opportunity. The answer was always the same — _there's nothing official to announce, we're just friends_. This time, she didn't even bother trying.

"Come on, Emma, maybe we were used to seeing you together back home, but here the thing between you has acquired a special dimension." Elsa also decided to contribute, to her dismay.

She suppressed the groan that threatened to escape her lips. Instead, she shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't see any difference." She simply added, suddenly very interested in the plate of chips on the table.

"Who is taking care of your son right now?" Mary Margaret insisted.

"Do I have to remind you that Henry is also with his uncle?"

"With his uncles." Elsa hurried to point. "Henry considers Liam as his uncle, and Declan and Connor as his cousins."

"Okay, but I still don't get the point. Henry is a lucky kid who has a lot of family that loves him and cares about him. I don't know what that has to do with Kilian."

"Who would you trust your son with his life?" Emma didn't bother answering Mary Margaret's question. "Killian is Henry's father to all intents and purposes, except in blood and in the name."

They were right. Killian had been present in her son's life since he was born. Emma's life had been far from simple. She had suffered different traumas, rejections and abandonment that had left her with her heart broken beyond repair. But just when she was in her lowest moments, pregnant, in jail, after suffering the betrayal of Neal, Henry's father, her biological brother came to her rescue, getting hope to become part of Emma's life again.

Their parents had died when Emma was three years old and David was eight. They stayed together for the first three years, but an error or a misunderstanding caused them to be separated, sending each one to a different part of the country. It took David years to find his little sister again, but when he did, they never separated again.

It turned out that reuniting with her lost brother also meant adding more people to her small circle, people she would end up trusting completely. Liam was David's best friend, so it was inevitable that he and his brother would become part of that circle. Ruby and Mary Margaret were friends since childhood. Elsa was the last to join the group when she started dating Liam one year after Henry's birth.

Emma would always be in debt to Liam, who became his lawyer without even knowing her, getting her out of prison before Henry was born, and thus causing her baby to come into the world in a quiet environment, surrounded by people who loved him even before he was born.

For some reason, the bond between Killian and Henry was created almost from the beginning, probably in tune with the growing friendship that blossomed among them once her first moments of reticence were over. Emma had been able to see behind Killian's mask of cockiness and what she had seen had satisfied her enough to trust him even with the care of her son when he was barely a baby.

Killian had ended up moving to the same building as Emma and Henry, to help her with the upbringing. The bond created between them had only consolidated over the years and Henry adored Killian. Emma could not be more grateful that her son had Killian as a stable father figure, as someone constant in his life.

"I think we all agree that Killian is the closest thing to a father that Henry will never have, but I don't see what that has to do with Killian and me being together."

"It has everything to do, Emma. He is a father to your son, he is your best friend, the person you trust the most."

Mary Margaret wasn't wrong. Killian was everything to her. He offered her security, and stability. He was the last person she talked to every day, the person she first addressed when she had something interesting to tell. And in addition to being a decent guy, he was terribly handsome, causing the butterflies in her stomach to flutter every time he was in her presence.

"We're fine like that, we don't need anything else." She replied weakly, being aware that her voice was not convincing at all. But it was true, the relationship they had was almost perfect, in no way did she want to risk something failing and end up ruining everything they had built over the last ten years.

"You already behave like a couple, but without enjoying the more pleasurable part." The smirk drawn on Ruby's face and the salacious arch of her brow left no doubt about what would be the that pleasurable part for her.

Maybe it was the effect of the alcohol going through her system, or the fact that her imagination betrayed her, bringing to her mind images of her and Killian involved in such pleasurable activities. Whatever it was caused Emma to feel a blush crawling from her neck to her cheeks, her blood running hot in her veins.

"I don't know what you two are waiting for, honestly." Elsa added, giving her a soft smile.

"Enough, girls, we haven't crossed the ocean to keep the same conversation as always. We're in Madrid, where there is a bar on every corner. We have the night free of responsibilities, so stop talking and drink more." To emphasize her words, she took the glass in front of her and drank the shot in one gulp, wanting her friends to drop the subject and join her.

For a few seconds, the only thing she heard was the music of the bar and the sound of people talking and singing around her in a language she didn't understand, while her friends looked at each other first and then gave her sidelong glances. Just as she began to find herself uncomfortable at the scrutiny, Mary Margaret's lips lifted slightly, while Elsa nodded subtly and Ruby rolled her eyes as she dropped her hands in her lap in defeat.

Emma wasn't able to suppress the sigh of relief that escaped her mouth and was about to ask for another shot, when Mary Margaret addressed her again.

"Well, you win for this time, but just let me tell you one last thing. I bet the next round of drinks that I know who will be the only man waiting for our return home safe and sound."

Emma didn't need to bet, since she was also sure of the answer. Indeed, when they arrived home a few hours later, laughing and humming, the alcohol running through their veins making its effect, the first thing they found after opening the front door, was someone asleep on the couch, with the tv remote control in one hand and snoring softly. A warm sensation spread to her heart as her stomach fluttered and her gaze was unable to move away from the image of Killian falling asleep while waiting for her to return.

* * *

Thanks _for reading and Happy New Year everyone!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Yes, I know, this story was supposed to have only two parts, but I can't help myself and now I'm not sure if there will be 1 or 2 more parts, but at least the chapters are short, right? My muse has decided to take me down this road, so I rather follow it instead of not writing at all._

 _This is_ unbeta'd _so apologize in advance for all the nonsense and the many mistakes._

 _I will explain better the tradition of grapes on New Year's Eve in the next chapter but in case there is someone who doesn't know it, Spanish people eat twelve grapes at midnight to welcome the new year._

* * *

As expected, the girls gave her significant glances as they gestured towards the sleeping beauty, even Mary Margaret, clearly tipsy after taking several shots, started giggling quietly, causing the other two to laugh in a not-so-silent way.

Emma shook her head as she rolled her eyes and put her finger to her lips to shush them, waving her other hand in a dismissive gesture to get them out of the room.

Only then did she focus her attention on Killian. She should wake him up and send him to bed, since that couch didn't seem particularly comfortable, but before doing so, she allowed herself a few seconds to observe him.

His long, dark lashes brushed his cheeks as his lips remained slightly parted, letting a soft snore escape between them. This wasn't the first time Emma had watched Killian as he slept, and she would never recognize it before him, but watching his features relax during sleep had a reassuring effect on her. Killian's life had not been easy either, he also carried several demons from the past in the form of abandonment and a broken heart, but at least during the sleep, they usually gave him a break.

A lock of his hair fell rebellious on his forehead, so Emma could not help but bend and reach out to brush it away. It was just a feather touch but Killian might have noticed her presence even in dreams because his eyelids started fluttering as he stirred slightly.

"Hello, beautiful." He murmured through a soft smile without bothering to open his eyes. Then he moved a little to make room for her on the couch.

Emma deliberately ignored the flutter of her stomach caused by the fact that Killian was aware of her identity when she hadn't spoken yet and he kept his eyes closed. But she couldn't help Mary Margaret's previous words echoing in her mind. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? In your bed?"

"Was watching TV and I fell asleep," Killian muttered hastily and then continued, changing the subject, something that didn't go unnoticed by Emma. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was ... a quite interesting night."

This time Killian did crack an eye open and glanced at her. "Should I be worried?"

She was tempted for a moment to continue on the path of flirting. Banter and innuendo had always been a constant in their relationship, but the previous conversation in the bar had somehow had an effect on her. Although she wasn't that drunk, just a bit tipsy, she didn't trust herself, fearing that alcohol would have caused her defenses to go down enough to expose her feelings when she wasn't ready. After shrugging, she offered a brief summary. "Nope, we've had some drinks sprinkled with the usual gossip and we've danced for a little bit."

"Dancing, huh?" His eyebrows swayed suggestively, while he smirked at her. "Now is when I'm beginning to regret not having accompanied you, Swan."

"It was a ladies night." She reminded him. "And how about you in the grape-thing event? Did Henry have fun? Did you have a hard time making him go to sleep?"

"If we ignore the fact that we almost suffered several panic attacks for fear of losing the lads in the crowd, it was a pretty enjoyable event. The kids were quite excited when they managed to eat all the grapes during the rehearsal." There was a hint of pride in his voice, but Emma decided not to read much into it, since, after all, his nephews were there too. "Well, he was a bit hyperactive when we got here, but after taking a shower he seemed to relax. We did a storytelling session for all the kids and, although he resisted a tad more than his cousins, he ended up falling asleep too."

Emma's heart melted a little while she listened to Killian talking about her son. Not only did Henry adore Killian, but the feeling was also reciprocal. Far from reassuring her, that thought caused the butterflies in her stomach to flutter with more force. What was wrong with her today? Emma held back a groan while inwardly cursing the girls for putting those thoughts in her head.

They chatted between whispers a few more minutes, Killian offering more details about their evening and how Henry was nervous while eating the grapes and couldn't wait to repeat the operation, but this time with all of them.

"So are we going to do the grape-thing tomorrow?" Emma asked as she wrinkled her nose slightly, since she was not a fan of grapes and did not see the point in eating twelve grapes quickly to welcome the new year. "I don't get that tradition."

"Technically it's today, it's past midnight, love, and admit it, you don't like grapes, that's why you're reluctant about this tradition, but I think it will be fun. You have to try new things, Swan."

"Yeah, whatever..." She huffed causing his lips to curl up drawing an incipient smirk that was truncated by a yawn that he tried unsuccessfully to contain by covering his mouth.

A sensation, mixture of guilt and something she didn't know or didn't want to identify, grew inside her. Killian had been waiting awake for her until he had finally succumbed to sleep. No one had forced him, that was true, but the fact that she was in someone else's mind in that way caused that strange sensation to increase.

She acted before it was impossible to control that wave of feelings, standing up and offering her hand to Killian to help him get up. If she felt an electric shock when he took her hand, she ignored it completely. "Come on, it's time to go to bed."

"Finally, Swan, I thought you were never gonna ask."

It was just an innuendo, something she should already be used to, but he accompanied his words with a gesture, his tongue darting out to wet his lips in an almost indecent way, which wasn't helping at all.

"You wish."

"Perhaps I would."

He was grinning at her, as if he were playing down his words, but the hint of longing that crossed his gaze did not go unnoticed by her. Seriously, what was happening today? Was it perhaps the air of Madrid, which had the power to make feelings that would otherwise remain buried begin to bloom and threaten to surface? Was her state of light drunkenness that made her imagine things?

She pulled those thoughts away with a shake of her head while rolling her eyes, pretending to ignore his words.

Tomorrow —or today, whatever — was the last day of the year, time to set new year resolutions. But until then, it was better if they both go to sleep, in different beds — and rooms, just in case.

That did not stop the embrace they shared before parting ways from lingering more than was strictly necessary, but she refused to abandon the warmth and security that his arms always offered her. Only when she entered her bedroom looking for the shelter her agitated heart needed she let out the breath she had been holding.

"What are you doing here?"

Ruby's unexpected voice caused her to wince. "Jesus Christ, Rubs, shouldn't you be asleep?" She muttered, as she groped her way to her bed and lay down, not even bothering to take off her boots. "This is also my bedroom, we've been sharing for a couple of days.."

"But shouldn't you be with your man?"

"If you mean Henry, he's already asleep."

Her eyesight hadn't yet adjusted to the darkness, but Emma could feel Ruby's eyes rolling. No way was she going to have this conversation again. _Nope_.

"I gotta go… to the bathroom." Emma clarified and sat up again, grabbing the sleeping clothes that were under her pillow. "Don't even think about being awake when I come back."

"Okay... but just one more thing, you should channel that unresolved sexual tension into other more pleasurable activities, instead of taking it against your friend who is only trying to help here."

Ruby's speech ended with a cry of surprise after receiving the impact of a pillow on the head. That was one of Emma's skills, her good aim. If she had to resort to drastic measures to silence her friends, so be it.

* * *

The next day, the last day of the year, Emma woke up with a hangover that she found perhaps a little disproportionate if she considered the amount of drink ingested. To her consolation, the rest of the girls — Especially Ruby— weren't in better condition, so the guys, again, took pity on them and led the boys out to do some tourism, so that they could recover. _Bless them_.

Once her mind had cleared enough, Emma was able to take stock of the year that was now coming to an end. It had been a good year, she concluded, similar to the previous years, a quiet one, without too many emotions, but she enjoyed that security offered by having a stable job and a group of people around her who would always have her back. Despite the insistence of her friends, she hoped that the new year would continue the same, without surprises, without fears, without risks.

Maybe her heart had other ideas, even her body betrayed her in the most unexpected situations, her skin tingling, her heart racing, butterflies fluttering in her stomach every time Killian was in her presence or she heard his voice, but she was going to try to keep her cold mind. She was fine like that.

The boys did not come back for lunch, so she just spent the day lazing around, lying on the couch with Ruby emulating her same position on the other couch. The other two girls didn't seem to accuse the effects of the hangover so much, since, before the boys returned, Mary Margaret and Elsa put themselves in organizational mode, finalizing the preparations for the last dinner of the year.

"How is it possible that Mary Margaret has so much energy?" Ruby grumbled under her breath.

Emma cracked one eye open to glance at her friend who looked miserable, curled up and hugging a cushion without even bothering to open her eyes.

"She's older, maybe that gives her experience to tolerate alcohol better." It was a poor excuse, but her brain felt still like cotton, preventing her from thinking clearly.

Ruby scoffed. "That's bullshit, Ems. I'm only five months younger than her, I have no responsibilities, no children to wake me up in the middle of the night, and here I am, my head about to explode and yet those two irritating women don't stop whispering and warbling."

Emma pressed her lips together holding back the laugh that bubbled in her throat. The situation was certainly ridiculous, since Ruby was usually the soul of the party but there must be something in these Spanish drinks that made them feel like crap. Maybe they should have opted to stay in their usual drinks instead of trying new things, like Spanish sangria — the original, not those horrible substitutes they sell out there, as the waiter had pointed out on several occasions.

"It could have been worse." Emma reminded her. "Right now the house could be full of four children of overflowing energy shrieking and bouncing on the couches."

The groan that Ruby released was so loud that it managed to alert the other two.

"Great. I see that you have already returned to the world of the living. Come and help us, there is still much to be done." Mary Margaret called out from the kitchen. "We have to make sure we all have the grapes ready."

This time it was Emma the one who let out a pitiful groan. So it seemed that they were serious, that they were going to carry out that stupid tradition with grapes involved. "It's six in the afternoon, Margs. How the hell do you want us to prepare the grapes?"

She should have known better. Mary Margaret didn't take especially well that someone contradicted her and she didn't hesitate to show it by going to the living room, holding a spatula with one hand while placing the other on her hip and gave them a disapproving look. "You two behave like adults and come help. Now."

"Yes, _mom_." Ruby scoffed, but she rose from the couch with languid movements and followed her friend to the kitchen, so Emma had no choice but to do the same after letting out an exaggerated sigh.

Once in the kitchen, they met Elsa who was making great efforts to suppress a smirk. Without a word, she handed them a bag full of grapes and several small plates, so Emma and Ruby had no choice but to resign themselves to the _laborious_ chore of distributing twelve grapes on each of the plates.

While doing the task, a somewhat mischievous idea popped into her head, while she wondered if karma would act against her if she casually forgot to put one or two grape on some of the plates. After all, there couldn't be much difference between eleven and twelve grapes, right? Hopefully, she would get for herself one of the plates with fewer grapes.

* * *

In the end, it turned out that her attempt to cheat was unsuccessful since the first thing her dear son did when they arrived home around eight was to make sure that the grapes were prepared by counting each and every one of them in each plate.

"Hey guys, there are not enough grapes in some of the plates." Henry announced, wrinkling his nose in a confused expression as he grabbed the bag of grapes and replaced the ones that were missing.

Emma immediately felt Mary Margaret's eyes on her. She gave her a sideways glance as she bit her lower lip, her eyes meeting with a glare from her sister-in-law. She crossed her arms over her chest and her lips pressed together into a thin line. Despite her sweet appearance, Mary Margaret could be very intimidating when something bothered her. Emma had the decency to gave her an apologetic look in return as she shrugged slightly.

Why the hell everyone was so obsessed with this grape-thing? Maybe it was true and she was becoming The Grinch of the group...

"You can relax darling, your secret is safe with me." Killian whispered in her ear and then winked at her, causing goosebumps to spread all over her body. _Bastard_!

"I do not..."

"Open book, remember? And this was a poor attempt to cheat, Swan. But not to worry, I've been told that some children here substitute grapes for olives or even for jellybeans, in case you prefer it too."

His lips curled into a stupid smirk and she felt the desire to erase it even if she had to use her own lips for that. _Nope, you better not go down that road ... Get a grip, Emma!_ This trip had been a terrible mistake. She could not wait to return to Boston and go back to their usual routine.

* * *

Thanks for reading :)


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